Baden Cooke's 2003 FDJeux.com Lapierre Scandium

Just what the Cookie Monster ordered

With just about every material suitable for building road bikes extruded,
forged, welded, bonded, brazed, bent or butted, it appears we are now
entering a phase of refinement rather than revolution. Baden Cooke's
FDJeux.com Lapierre is testimony to that.

Founded in 1948, Lapierre, a relatively unknown brand outside of France,
began their foray into the two wheeled world rather modestly with a
range of commuter and utility bikes some fifty years ago. Around 30
years later, just when mountain bike murmurings were gaining momentum
in the US of A, the Dijon-based company changed their focus in line
with these northern American happenings, and still today, mountain bike
sales account for more than half of Lapierre's total production of 50-odd
thousand bikes annually.

However, a reversion in popularity to the road in recent times cannot
be ignored. Possibly a consequence of this and being part of the Dutch-based
Acell group - which includes Batavus, Koga-Miyata, Dawes and Mercier
- Lapierre became the official bike sponsor of France's number one team,
La Française des Jeux, their name now "webberised" to FDJeux.com.

Having a yarn with FDJeux.com's mechanics at the Tour Down Under a
few months ago, I was told that Marc Madiot's team of merry men are
perched on ostensibly the same bikes as last year. Their 2003 Lapierre
is a sub one kilo, custom-built, scandium-aluminium alloy, the main
difference this year being the slightly thicker top and down tubes for
increased stiffness and lateral rigidity.

Interestingly, most of the taller FDJeux.com boys prefer the traditional
rather than "compact" frame design, their claim being that the former
inspires more confidence when steering their trusty steeds down those
mammoth mountain passes in the Alps and Pyrénées - something Brad McGee
needs plenty of after overshooting a turn at 70 km/h down the Col d'Abisque
in last year's Tour (thankfully, Brad managed to get back on his bike
and made it all the way to Paris).

Shimano have certainly made their presence felt with the group, cycle
computer, pedals and wheels all courtesy of the ze big S. The Dura-Ace
wheel, while rather Rolf-ish looking with a quad-flange design and spoke
heads protruding from the rim sidewall, was tested extensively in last
year's Tour de France, and so far, so good.

In what seems to be a pro cyclist's bread and butter (or should that
be bars and butter), ITM's Millenium stem and bars have featured on
more pro bikes than any other brand since, well… the millennium. One
noticeable change, however. In an oversized aluminium bicycle world,
the diameter of the mid-section of the bars has now increased from 25.8mm
to 31.7mm, reflecting the Millenium's new surname, "Super Over".

Another upgrade to an ever-popular product is Michelin's Axial Pro
Race, which is essentially the popular Axial Pro with a new tread compound
called Silicium that is claimed to be more puncture resistant and provide
improved grip. The Pro Race is also a tad lighter than its predecessor
- so on a set of 700x23c tyres, you'll save about 40 grams, but it'll
cost you an extra 20 bucks.

All in all, a refined, well-trained, race-ready road machine. Just
what the Cookie Monster ordered.